Q: Do you offer a food services program?

A: Yes, a daily lunch is included in the tuition fee. Each school (Lower/Middle/Upper) has its own seating time. Our Food Services Manager endeavours to ensure that all tastes are met. In addition to the daily hot lunch entreés there is a soup, sandwich bar, a salad bar with fresh fruit and vegetables and a dessert is available at every lunch. Our Health and Wellness office and Food Services Manager work together closely to ensure each student has an opportunity to eat a healthy and balanced lunch regardless of dietary or religious restrictions.

Crescent school also has an on-site cafe. Healthy snacks and breakfast/lunch items can be purchased from the Crescent Café located in our Centre for Creative Learning lobby. Upper School students may purchase from the café throughout the day and Middle School students may attend the café for breakfast only.

Q: May I send a snack to school with my son?

A: Recess snacks are permitted as long as they are nut-free and consumed outside.

Q: Does Crescent School have an after school program?

A: An after school program is provided for the Lower School (grades 3-6). Boys who cannot be picked up after school may, for a fee, attend the after school program. The program runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Students in the program have the opportunity to complete their homework under the supervision of a qualified instructor, use the computers or take part in fun activities organized by the Coordinator.

Q: Why is Crescent School an all boys’ school?

A: Crescent is a boys’ school by intention: we understand how boys learn, play and grow. Studies indicate that boys develop learning skills and abilities at a different rate than girls, particularly in terms of reading, writing and organizational skills in the early years. Social skills also develop at different stages. In an all-male environment, the School can provide its students with a more balanced rate of development that is in line with current research findings on how boys learn. The school also provides ample opportunity for physical education and sports that addresses the kinesthetic aspect of male growth. At the high school level, a single gender environment removes the distraction of impressing the opposite sex and allows the students to express their feelings and opinions in a less self-conscious setting. As a day school, the students have ample exposure to social growth at home and on the weekend. Crescent School also provides co-educational co-curricular opportunities such as drama productions and dances with students from all-girls schools.

Q: Do you accept international students and/or do you offer an ESL program?

A: International students who have the necessary English skills to perform at the same level with boys who have English as a first language are welcome to apply. Crescent School does not offer an ESL program.

Q: How is a "Crescent Boy" chosen?

A: At the main entry levels of grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9, application information is reviewed, entrance tests are written and each student has a personal interview. We also look at teacher evaluations, additional report cards and other materials that are submitted. All of these aspects are taken into consideration when determining mission-appropriate applicants. Crescent School attempts to select students who will fit into the culture of our school, reflect our school’s core values and have interests in activities outside the classroom. At each entry level, a committee reviews and discusses the merits of the applicant before final decisions are made.

Q: What role does entrance testing play in the admissions process?

A: Testing is one part of the process. Standardized test results are not always an accurate reflection of a student’s achievement or potential. However, testing offers us a starting point for the comparison of candidates, and for discussion with families about the opportunities and challenges a transition to Crescent School might involve.

Q: What kind of boy succeeds at Crescent?

A: Students who succeed at Crescent possess intellectual curiosity and good interpersonal skills, are willing to take risks and show compassion for their classmates, take responsibility for their actions and involve themselves in various co-curricular programs. The school’s annual attrition rate of three per cent indicates that most boys who are accepted to Crescent are successful.

Q: Where do graduates attend university?

A: Crescent School is fortunate to be visited each year by well over 30 universities from around the world. We have many alumni at Queen's and Western, as well as other Canadian Universities such as McGill and University of British Columbia. Details may be found on our University Counselling page.

In the United States, Princeton, Duke, Columbia, NYU, Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Boston University, UCLA, and to direct entry medical schools at Union College and Rochester are a sampling of where you will find our graduates.

Our graduates have also travelled to the U.K. to take up studies at Oxford, St Andrews, London School of Economics, and to the University of Sheffield and Trinity College, Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland, for their direct-entry medical programs.

Q: What is the cost of attending Crescent School?

A: Tuition fees for 2014-2015 school year are $29,950. Tuition at Crescent School covers local activities and our exceptional lunch program. Extras such as music lessons and out-of-country trips are billed in advance of the activity. Each student also has a Personal Sundry account set up when they enrol and an additional $1,000 per enrolled boy submitted in addition to tuition. It is also expected that on behalf of each son attending Crescent School, the family will make a $2,000 donation to the Annual Giving Campaign.

New students, for their first year only, pay an enrolment fee, currently set at $8,200. This fee is in addition to tuition. It is non-refundable and payable upon notification of acceptance of our offer.

Other costs, such as the school and athletic uniforms and school supplies typically fall in the $500-$1000 range. This does not include the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) for middle and upper school students or textbooks for upper school students.

Upper School students will also incur the cost of textbooks. Textbooks for upper school students may be purchased directly from the Canadian School Book Exchange (CSBE) website where you will be able to purchase your son’s textbooks, new or used, and have them delivered to your home.

Q: How do I arrange to visit Crescent School?

A: All school visits take place during school hours and tours are conducted by our Student Ambassadors. We therefore ask that you choose to visit one of our scheduled Open Houses, or contact our Admissions Office to arrange an appointment to visit the school.

Q: Where do I park when I come visit the school?

A: During our Open Houses, we do our best to free up a number of parking places for our guests. For individual family visits Admission parking is available; you will find spots, marked with an "Admissions Visitor" sign, next to the handicapped parking space in the small, east lot, closest to the Manor.